Matthew 5:43-48

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You should love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

⁴⁴ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

⁴⁵ so that you may show that you are just like your Father who is in the sky. For he makes his sun rise on both the evil and on the good, and sends rain on both the just and on the unjust.

⁴⁶ For if you only love those who presently love you, what wages are you earning? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?

⁴⁷ And if you show hospitality to only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the other nations do that?

⁴⁸ You therefore must be spiritually mature, as your heavenly Father is spiritually mature. _________________________________________

Doing more

Those who dare to be part of the special kingdom coming down from the sky are spiritually mature like their Father in the sky. They don’t just do what is expected. They do more, because more is needed to fix this broken world. They love like their Father loves. He sends his sunshine and rain on the whole land, blessing good nations and bad with them. His mature ones are his special nation. They cannot act like the other nations (Gentiles). They have to be different.

LORD, make us into the mature people who are fit for your special nation, coming down from the sky.